Apparatus for preparing reels of sheet material for unwinding

ABSTRACT

Apparatus for preparing large and heavy reels of sheet material such as paper or thin board for a subsequent unwinding operation, comprise a stand for supporting a reel and allowing the reel to rotate about a horizontal axis and means to allow pivotal movement of the stand about a vertical axis, so that damaged outer layers of the reel can be removed and the reel can be turned through 180* if necessary to ensure that the direction of web pull-off is correct. The stand preferably also comprises weighing means for indicating the weight of the reel and of any waste material removed from it. A jack and rollers may be used to allow the reel to be rotated. A support unit with an individual elevating jack may be used to raise each reel to the correct height for engagement with supporting means on a transporter which carries the prepared reels to an unwind station.

United States Patent Lindstaedt 154] APPARATUS FOR PREPARING REELS OF SHEET MATERIAL FOR UNWINDING [72] Inventor: Horst Karl Lindstaedt, London, En-

gland [73] Assignee: Mason Scott Thrissell Engineering Limited 1 [22] Filed: July 2, 1970 [21] Appl. No.: 51,837

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data July 5, 1969 Great Britain ..33,987/69 [52] US. Cl ..242/55, 214/1 R, 214/6 P, 242/79, 242/586 [51] Int. Cl. ..B65h 75/02 [58] Field of Search ..242/55, 79, 58.6; 214/6 P, 214/1 R [56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,599,720 6/1952 Prevost ..242/58.6 3,045,802 7/1962 Miller, Jr. ..214/6 P X [451 Oct. 3, 1972 3,150,706 9/1964 OBrien ..242/79X 3,276,711 10/1966 Martin ..242/58.6

3,438,593 4/1969 Reed ..242/79 Primary Examiner-Stanley N. Gillreath Assistant ExaminerMilton S. Gerstein Attorney-Young & Thompson 57 ABSTRACT Apparatus for preparing large and heavy reels of sheet material such as paper or thin board for a subsequent unwinding operation, comprise a stand for supporting a reel and allowing the reel to rotate about a horizontal axis and means to allow pivotal movement of the stand about a vertical axis, so that damaged outer layers of the reel can be removed and the reel can be turned through 180 if necessary to ensure that the direction of web pull-off is correct. The stand preferably also comprises weighing means, for indicating the weight of the reel and of any waste material removed from it. A jack and rollers may be used to allow the reel to be rotated. A support unit with an individual elevating jack may be used to raise each reel to the correct height for engagement with supporting means on a transporter which carries the prepared reels to an unwind station.

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sum u er 5 INVENTOR #0957 Kala L/A/DST/IEDT ATTORNEYS APPARATUS FOR PREPARING REELS OF SHEET MATERIAL FOR UNWIN DING This invention relates to apparatus for preparing reels of sheet material such as paper or thin board for a subsequent unwinding operation, and is particularly though not exclusively applicable to a preparation ap paratus forming part of an unwind stand from which a plurality of paper webs are unwound simultaneously and fed to an automatic machine such as a multiple sheet cutter.

Before being unwound the reels must be prepared, for example by removing a number of layers of the sheet material itself, if they have been damaged. The reels as received from a winder are of various sizes and often of very considerable weight, up to say 2 tons, and such preparation of the reels for unwinding presents considerable problems. Moreover it is usually necessary that the reels should be finally located at the right height, and in the correct attitude so that the webs will run off in the correct direction. This may involve turning a reel through 180 about a vertical axis, to reverse its ends, and elevating the reel through a variable height depending upon its external diameter after the outer layers have been removed.

Now from one aspect the invention consists in apparatus for preparing a reel of sheet material such as paper or thin board for a subsequent unwinding operation, comprising a stand for supporting a reel and allowing the reel to rotate about a horizontal axis and means to allow pivotal movement of the stand about a vertical axis.

Preferably the apparatus also includes weighing means for providing an indication of the weight of the reel and/or of any material removed from the reel.

From another aspect the invention consists in a stand for preparing a reel of sheet material, for a subsequent unwinding operation, comprising a support for a reel to allow the reel to rotate about its axis, and weighing means for providing an indication of the weight of the reel and/or any material removed from the reel.

In any case the stand is preferably provided with a pair of horizontal free running rollers, and jacking means for elevating the stand to raise a reel from a support such as a platform, to allow rotation thereof. The

apparatus may also include a receptacle into which waste material from the reel can be delivered, or a conveyor for removing the waste material.

From yet another aspect the invention consists in apparatus for preparing wound reels of sheet material for a subsequent unwind operation, including individual support units at each reel station, each support unit having an individual elevating jack for raising the reel to the correct center line.

According to a preferred feature of the invention the apparatus is arranged in combination with transporter means for moving the prepared reels simultaneously from the preparation station to an unwind stand, the transporter unit having means for engaging and supporting the ends of each reel, while each support unit at the preparation station is arranged to engage the external wound surface of the reel.

The invention may be performed in various ways and a number of embodiments will now be described by way of example and with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIG. 1 is a diagrammatic side elevation of the whole apparatus, with parts omitted for clarity,

FIG. 2 is a side elevation, to a larger scale, of part of the loading section and preparation section, incorporating a separate weighing station,

FIG. 3 is a partial perspective view of a subsequent part of the preparation section,

FIG. 4 is an end elevation of the unwind section,

FIG. 5 is a perspective view of a cantilever arm assembly forming part of the unwind section,

FIG. 6 is a partial sectional view of the unwind section illustrating the removal of an empty core,

FIG. 7 is an end view of a modified form of preparation section, and

In the examples illustrated, the complete unwind stand system is in three sections; a loading section 10, a preparation section 11 and an unwind section 12. These sections are conveniently built as separate units and finally assembled to form one complete continuous assembly extending in an in-line manner parallel to the direction of web run-off to a subsequent automatic multiple cutter (not shown) to the right of the assembly shown in FIG. 1. The cutter forms no part of the present invention and need not be described. It is, however, significant that the unwind assembly occupies little more lateral width, if any, than the cutter itself, so that a number of such assemblies can be arranged in parallel rows closely adjacent to one another, feeding a number of closely spaced cutting machines. The unwind assembly illustrated is designed to feed webs simultaneously from up to eight reels 14 having diameters up to 42 inches and varying widths between say 12 inches and 94 inches, arranged in two decks of four. The whole unwind assembly has continuous upper and lower levels to locate the reels at the two different heights.

The first, loading, section 10 comprises upper and lower inclined platforms" l5, 16 to receive fresh reels 14 delivered by a forklift loader, stacker truck or lift (not shown) at the loading end 17. The reels 14 run down the inclined platforms 15, 16 and are checked at the lower end by a double gate system of inclined chocks 18, or plates or bars, which stop the reels and deliver them one by one as required to the next section 11.

As delivered to the loading section 10, the reels I4 usually have torn or otherwise useless outer windings, due to damage caused by mechanical handling. They are therefore delivered first to a. cleaning station 24 also having upper and lower levels. At each level, the cleaning station 24 has a turntable 26, whose diameter is equal to the width of the largest reel to be handled, recessed into a platform 28. The turntable 26 may have a diametral recess 261 or a pair of ridges one each side of a diameter, to locate the reel on it.

In the modification illustrated in FIG. 2, the reels first arrive at a separate weighing station 20 having upper and lower levels, at each of which is a small platform 21 supported on a load cell 22. Each reel 14 in turn comes to rest on the platform 21 and its weight is registered by the load cell 22. It is then rolled over platform 28 to the cleaning station 241 which in this embodiment comprises at each level a pair of horizontal support rollers 25 mounted on a turntable 262 attached to the top of a vertical hydraulic jack 27. A fresh reel 14 is rolled manually in position over the two rollers 25 and the jack 27 is then elevated to the position shown in FIG. 2 to lift the reel above the level of the adjacent platforms 28, 29 so that the turntable 262 can be rotated through 90 and the reel 14 can be turned on the rollers 25. The turntables 26 and 262 may be supported for rotation on their associated jack standards in the manner shown in US. Pat. No. 1,570,730.

With the reel in this position, with its axis parallel to the length of the apparatus, as shown on the upper level of the cleaning station 24 of FIG. 1 and the lower level of the cleaning station 241 of FIG. 2, as many of the outer windings of the paper as may have been damaged are removed, and this waste material is delivered directly downwards into a collection bin (not shown) below and alongside the turntable. FIG. 7 illustrates a modification of the embodiment of FIG. 2, in which a belt conveyor 242 is disposed alongside the cleaning station 241 to receive and remove waste material. FIG. 7 also shows lateral working platforms 243 with guard rails 244 for operators at the upper level.

Instead of having a separate weighing station 20, the turntable 26 of FIG. 1, or the turntable 262 or the jack 27 of FIG. 2, may include weighing mechanism such as load cells to determine the initial weight of the reel and the weight when finally cleaned so as to check the amount of waste.

While supported on the turntable 26 or 262, the reel 14 can also be turned through 180 about the vertical axis of the turntable, manually or by any desired power means, as may be necessary to ensure that the web pulloff will occur in the desired direction. When the reel 14 is ready, it is pushed off the turntable onto the platform, manually or by any desired power means the jack 27 being first lowered in the example of FIG. 2, and it then continues into the next part of the preparation section 11.

The next part of the preparation section 11 is an alignment station 30 which comprises two support platforms 31, 32 one at each level, each platform having four reel positions. At each reel position there is provided a pair of supporting horizontal rollers 34 (FIGS. 1 and 3) extending transversely to the longitudinal axis of the assembly. The two rollers 34 are mounted on shafts 35 rotatably supported at both ends in a transverse frame member 36. The frame member is movable vertically within an aperture 33 in the platform 31 or 32 by means of a pair of screw jacks 37, 38 operated through a cross-shaft 39 and gearing 40 by an electric motor 41. When a reel 14 is received at one of the reel positions, an operator manipulates controls 42 to operate motor 41, and this elevates the pair of rollers 34 by means of the jacks 37, 38 to raise the reel center to the correct height for subsequent engagement with a pair of the shaftless heads, as described below. It will be appreciated that the diameters of the reels may vary so that the height of lift of the jacks must be variable. The operator can judge visually or can measure to determine when the reel center has reached the desired elevation, whereupon he shuts off motor 41.

When all eight reels are correctly positioned in the alignment station 30, the leading ends of the paper webs are pulled off the reels and led to the front reels on the upper and lower platforms 31, 32 and secured to them ready for the subsequent changeover. No squaring rollers are provided and therefore no web threading operations are necessary.

The unwind section 12 comprises an open frame 45 easily accessible from both sides and from opposite ends. Within this frame, and extending also into the preparation section 11, are mounted two parallel horizontal longitudinal rails 46 (FIGS. 1 and 4) guiding a movable transporter 47 which also acts as an unwind stand. The transporter 47 comprises four parallel heavy rigid upright tubes 48 (FIG. 4) arranged in a longitudinal row and attached at their upper ends to a horizontal framework 49 having rollers 50 longitudinally spaced along both opposite sides, running on the longitudinal rails 46. The lower ends of the tubes 48 are attached to a lower horizontal beam 51 carrying heeling rollers 52 on vertical axes engaging a fixed heeling rail 53 mounted at the bottom of the main frame. Each vertical tube 48 supports two identical cantilever arm assemblies 54, 55 at heights corresponding respectively to the two levels at which the reels 14 are handled. Each cantilever arm assembly comprises a pivotal collar 56 closely located around the tube 48 and bearing on a fixed positioning collar 57 secured to the tube, so that the pivotal collar 56 is capable of pivotal movement about the tube axis. From each pivotal collar 56 project two parallel horizontal carrier tubes 58, and on these tubes two brackets 59, 60 are mounted by means of sleeves 61, 62 slidable on the carrier tubes 58. Each bracket 59, 60 has a depending plate or lug 63, 64 carrying at its lower end an expanding type shaftless head 65, 66 for engaging one end ofa reel core 72. The two brackets 59, 60 with the attached heads 65, 66 are movable towards and away from one another, symmetrically, by means of a lead screw 67 (FIG. 5) having threads of opposite hand enclosed within gaiters 68, 69 and engaging in the brackets 59, 60. The lead screw 67 is parallel with the carrier tubes 58 and is rotatable by means of an individual geared motor drive (not shown) to draw the brackets 59, 60 together or to move them apart.

Each expanding shaftless head 65, 66 includes a stub shaft 70, 71 projecting towards the opposite head and capable of entering into the respective open end of the reel core 72.

Each head 65, 66 also includes braking means 73, 74 (FIGS. 4 to 6) to control the run-off web tension. It may further include automatic core ejector or push-off devices (not shown) to ensure that a reel core 72 will be discharged from both ends when the two heads 65, 66 are separated at the finish of an unwind operation. Alternatively, means indicated diagrammatically at 86 in FIG. 6 may be provided for gripping the mid-portion of the reel core 72 when the heads 65, 66 are being separated.

Each complete cantilever arm assembly 54, 55 including its two shaftless heads 65, 66 can be pivoted about the axis of the respective vertical tube 48 in order to adjust the reel axis in a horizontal plane in relation to the web run-off direction so as to compensate for conical tapering of the wound reel 14. This squaring adjustment may be achieved by a screwthreaded adjusting rod 75 (FIG. 5) pivotally attached at one end to a fixed anchor bracket 76 on the vertical tube 48 and engaging a screwthreaded collar 77 attached to one of the carrier tubes 58. The shaft 75 may be manually rotated in either direction by means of a hand-wheel 78 to cause the cantilever arm assembly 54 or 55 to pivot through a limited angle about the vertical axis. It will be noted that the heads 65, 66

tion it may be desirable that the free end of the cantilever arm assembly should be additionally supported or clamped, if only to reduce vibration. For this purpose the outer bracket 59 at the free end of the assembly may have a roller 79 designed to run on a horizontal track (not shown) supported by another part of the main open frame 45 and braking means such as a friction clamping pad or a magnetic bracket (not shown) may be provided to lock or clamp this outer end of the cantilever assembly.

it will be seen that this system provides the advantages of shaftless heads and also provides for socalled squaring adjustment while maintaining the axes of the two heads in alignment. Moreover the arrangement of cantilever supports for the shaftless heads provides other advantages in association with the transporter system for moving fresh reels into position, as will become apparent.

As explained above it is also important to provide means for rapidly removing empty reel cores 72, or partly unwound reels, and in such a manner that the cores or partly unwound reels will not cause damage or injury. Accordingly the open frame 45 at the unwind station 12 also includes means for supporting two clearing platforms 80, 81 (FIG. 4) in cantilever manner from the side thereof opposite that from which the cantilever arm assemblies 54, 55 extend from the vertical tubes 48 of the transporter 47. Each clearing platform 80, 81 extends the full length of the unwind station 12 and in their normal positions the platforms are positioned a short distance below the reels 14 in each level. The platforms are maintained in the horizontal position by rollers 82 engaging opposite sides of a vertical guide rail 83. Each platform 80, 81 is vertically movable by means of a power operated hoisting system shown diagrammatically in the case of platform 80 as comprising a cable 84 passing over a pulley 85 and wound on a power-driven winch (not shown) in housing 86 for selective actuation by the operator. In this way, platforms 80 and 81 can be raised to meet and support any partly unwound reel to be removed from the unwind stand. This may occur, for example, if one reel has a defective web in which case it is normal to cut the web and continue winding from the remaining reels until the next changeover. The defective reel must, of course, be removed before a fresh reel can be inserted and the defective reel may weigh up to the full initial weight of a wound reel.

Since the clearing platforms 80, 81 are arranged as cantilevers projecting in the opposite direction from the cantilever arm assemblies 54, 55 supporting the shaftless heads on the transporter 47, the complete transporter can be moved longitudinally between the unwind station 12 and preparation station 11 without conflicting with the clearing platforms. Moreover, when the transporter 47 is out of the unwind station 12 the platforms 80, 81 can both be moved vertically. in use, at the end of an unwinding operation, the two platforms 80, 81 are raised to meet and support any partly unwound reels, the pairs of shaftless heads 65, 66 are moved apart by the lead screw 67 under remote control means to disengage from the reel cores 72 and to drop any empty core centers on to the platforms 80, 81 and the transporter 47 is then moved out of the unwind station 12 to pick' up eight fresh reels 14 from the preparation station 1 1. When the transporter 47 is clear of the unwind station 12 the lower clearing platform 81 can be cleared of empty reel cores and any broken-out reels. The upper clearing platform is then lowered down on to the lower platform 81 and cleared in the same manner. The two platforms are then returned to their original positions before the transporter 47 returns to the unwind station 12 and interlocks are provided to prevent the return of the transporter until the platforms are correctly positioned.

At the preparation station 11 the two stationary platforms 31, 32 supporting the fresh reels 14 are similarly mounted in cantilever fashion on the same side as the clearing platforms 80, 81 so that the transporter 47 with its cantilever arm assemblies .54, 55 supporting the shaftless heads 65, 66 can interleave as it enters this area longitudinally. The fresh reels 14 have previously been aligned correctly as explained above so that each pair of shaftless heads 65, 66 can be engaged rapidly in the ends of each core center 72, whereupon the pairs of support rollers 34 at each reel station are retracted, leaving the reels 14 supported entirely by the transporter 47. The transporter 47 is then returned rapidly to the unwind station 12 by suitable power operated mechanism (not shown). An operator then picks up the four gathered web ends fastened to the front reel at each level and introduces them to the automatic cutting machine. it is anticipated that the total changeover time may be of the order of 5 minutes or less, i.e., of approximately the same duration as the time taken to reset the cutter machine itself, if such resetting is necessary. Unless difficulties are encountered in disposing of the reel cores and broken-out reels the excess downtime may be greatly reduced or completely eliminated. Moreover the disposal of the heavy defective reels can be performed rapidly and under complete control, almost entirely eliminating any dangerous manual operations. The system avoids the use of squaring rollers which can only be threaded when the reels are in the unwind area and which, therefore, tend to increase the downtime.

The systems described above avoid the need for duplicate shaftless heads at the unwind and preparation stations, which would occur with a turntable arrangement, and thus considerably reduce the overall cost of the equipment. The whole assembly can be arranged in line with each cutting machine and occupies little or no greater width than the cutting machine itself so that banks of cutting machines can be arranged closely adjacent one another, or the unwind stands may be provided in alignment with existing cutting machines positioned in this manner, without the need to re-site the machines. The loading arrangements are greatly simplified since loading is performed at one end only, e.g., by a forklift or stacker truck or by a lift, and thereafter the graded incline along the machine to the preparation station facilitates the maneuvering of the reels into position.

lclaim:

1. Apparatus for preparing a plurality of wound reels of sheet material for a subsequent unwind operation, including at least one platform, at least two reel receiving stations on each platform, each platform providing a path for reels to be rolled in one direction to said receiving stations, and each reel receiving station comprising a reel support for engaging a reel solely by the external wound surface thereof, and means for raising and lowering said support between a position below the surface of the platform and a selected height above said 1 platform surface which permits axial adjustment of a supported reel held clear of said surface. 

1. Apparatus for preparing a plurality of wound reels of sheet material for a subsequent unwind operation, including at least one platform, at least two reel receiving stations on each platform, each platform providing a path for reels to be rolled in one direction to said receiving stations, and each reel receiving station comprising a reel support for engaging a reel solely by the external wound surface thereof, and means for raising and lowering said support between a position below the surface of the platform and a selected height above said platform surface which permits axial adjustment of a supported reel held clear of said surface.
 2. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each said reel support includes a pair of rollers, parallel to the reel axis, which cradle the reel.
 3. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, wherein each platform has an array of reel receiving stations spaced in said one direction.
 4. Apparatus as claimed in claim 1, and including means located upstream of the platform for rotating each reel about a substantially vertical axis, while supporting that reel for rotation about its own axis. 